A Year Abroad
by Jedediah
Summary: As Sakuno graduates from high school and began pursuing a college degree, she gets the opportunity to be an exchange student in America. There she meets new friends, and reunites with Ryoma.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is just something I've got on my mind lately and I'm just making things up as I type so if ever you like this, you can leave a review or say if you've got ideas on how Sakuno goes about her daily life in America. I don't really know how being an exchange student works so just bear with me, I have little time to research everything especially about Columbia University. Yes, it exists but the details about it, I just made it up because I'm lazy don't judge me. By the way, I was unable to update my other story, Abducted, because my flash drive went missing. I was halfway through chapter four when it decided to just run away. But if I ever remember what I wrote there, I will post it right away. Sorry. Anyway, enjoy reading this one. It's going to be a bit boring because I don't know how to write it in a more exciting tone but I promise to put in fluffs for RyoSaku shippers.

Disclaimer: I do not own POT and Facebook. DUH.

(Bold dialogues are chat messages, italic ones are spoken in English)

* * *

Nineteen year-old Ryuzaki Sakuno ran as fast as she could to reach her grandmother loading a couple of tennis equipment in her car. The young lady was sweating tremendously as she clutched a piece of paper in her free hand while the other held her bag tightly.

"Grandma! I did it! I did it!" she called. Sumire slammed the compartment shut and turned to see her daughter.

"Sakuno? Don't run!"

"I did it! I'll go to America!"

Sakuno's feet screeched as she stopped in front of Sumire. She held the paper up and the old woman read it out loud.

"Congratulations, Ms. Ryuzaki Sakuno. You have been accepted to…" Sumire's eyes widened in disbelief as she continued to read it.

"Columbia University! Oh my god, Sakuno! You really did it!" she covered her mouth to contain her gasps as tears streamed down Sakuno's cheeks. The two women hugged each other lovingly, both proud of a milestone Sakuno achieved.

She had recently applied to be an exchange student in America for about a year (it may be extended depending on her performance). During that time, she must join at least one club and must maintain a high grade to be able to continue. Sakuno had devoted most of her time and effort into earning this opportunity while she was taking up a business degree in Seishun Academy. Now, all her efforts had been paid off as she embarks on a new journey towards her dream, to own a restaurant someday.

* * *

"Congratulations, Sakuno!" a small celebration was held at Sumire's house that night, inviting everyone in the tennis club, the trio, and of course, Tomoka. Kawamura brought a variety of sushi, Inui originally offered that he would bring the beverage, but everyone instantly dismissed the idea. Instead, Momoshiro and Eiji brought soda and juice. Fuji organized the games and contest, while the others brought Sakuno gifts.

"Tezuka, would you give some advice or tips for Sakuno about studying abroad. You went to Germany, right?" Sumire smiled at the captain.

"Very well." Tezuka stood up and made his way to the front of the long dining table. Everyone paid attention as he cleared her throat.

"First of all, congratulations, Sakuno. Becoming an exchange student gives you more than knowledge about another country and its language and culture. A year abroad teaches you about building friendships, taking responsibility for yourself, respecting differences and tolerating the beliefs of others. You'll discover that every moment, every conversation and experience, challenges the way you look at the world. You'll see differences as well as similarities in people and their actions, in their beliefs and values. You'll experience the intricately structured social code of the Japanese, or the egalitarian beliefs of the Scandinavians, considered the most socially progressive Europeans. Suddenly you'll realize what it means to belong to a certain country and culture. You'll learn about yourself as you learn about others. Exchange students develop leadership skills, self-confidence and a greater understanding of the complexities of the world around them. This is why the best universities, as well as corporations and professionals, look favourably on students who have spent a school year abroad. They know that former international exchange students bring a higher level of maturity and a global frame of reference to their university studies and activit-"

"Yeah, yeah! Let's toast, shall we?" Everyone stopped Tezuka because they were bored of what he's saying, and they have no idea what his point was. Tezuka felt a little sad so he just grabbed his glass of juice quietly and joined the toast.

"Cheers!"

* * *

It was 10pm but everyone was still enjoying the party. The tennis regulars were as loud as jungle as they played beer pong but instead of beer pong, they used soda, juice, and Inui's terrifying concoction for those unlucky ones who shoots it in the wrong cup. They considered it as a trap. Sumire decided to rest upstairs and left the cleaning part to the kids. It's her house after all. Sakuno and Tomoka drank tea outside the veranda and talked about boys and stuff.

"Hey, Sakuno. You should always chat me on Faccebook whenever you can and if there's something exciting going on like finding yourself a boyfriend, I should totally be the first one to know!" she exclaimed. Sakuno chuckled.

"I don't think that's gonna happen, Tomo-chan. I'll be very busy with school, club activities, and I'll be living alone for a year so I have to take care of myself. I have no time for a boyfriend."

"Not even with Ryoma-sama?" Tomoka said in a teasing manner. Sakuno's face went from pale white to a shade of pink.

"Oh come on. There's no news about him anymore, not even his parents know what he's doing now."

"Yeah, I guess he lay low to focus on his studies." Her best friend agreed. Sakuno stared at the dark sky with twinkling stars and wondered how Ryoma is doing now. What degree is he studying? Is he still playing tennis? Why doesn't he have a Facebook account? Almost everyone in the world has one. Not even a single phone call for any of them. He really did disappear for good.

Tomoka sensed her best friend's sudden change of mood and quickly thought of something reassuring to say.

"Well, at least we know he's in New York, right? You may or may not see him there." Tomoka instantly regret what she said because Sakuno's face drooped more.

"It's okay. I'm going to America to finish my studies, not to look for him, right?" she forced a smile. Really, this was a perfect night, why does she always ruin things because of missing a boy? Well, he's not just a boy. He was, he is, and will always be Sakuno's inspiration.

* * *

The first step to America gave Sakuno chills. Realization sinked in and she knew it's going to be tough. She still has problems conversing in English, but she can get by. The main problem is the streets. Oh, she needs a map.

Sakuno went to a bookstore and roamed every aisle, looking for a map. As she passed by the second aisle, a familiar figure walked past the windows of the bookstore so fast, she couldn't make out who it was but she clearly saw a white cap.

She blinked a couple of times.

"Nah, it couldn't be. New York is pretty big." She finally found a slim pocketbook of maps and took out a dollar. Next stop, she looked for Columbia University where her dorm is.

* * *

She arrived at the school grounds in the afternoon. It was breath taking. Breath taking because it was a long walk to her dorm building, the other reason is because there were flowers in the park, a big garden with a maze, a pond with benches where students can study, and lots more places Sakuno would enjoy.

Her room was small, but it has its own toilet so she was okay with it. After a few hours of organizing her stuff in the room, it was already night time. She decided to turn on her laptop and chat Tomoka.

 **Sakuno: Tomo-chan. Please tell my grandma that I settled in fine.**

 ** _Typing…_**

 **Tomoka: I will! How was the school?**

 **Sakuno: It's beautiful, Tomo-chan. I'm heading over the park to read the student manual.**

 ** _Typing…_**

 **Tomoka: Alright! Enjoy yourself and goodluck!**

Sakuno turned off her laptop and took out the student manual that was included in the papers sent for her. Upon arriving at the park, she took a seat at a vacant bench near the pond and eyed the other students in the area. Most of them had blonde hair, six foot tall, and blue eyed. She noticed a few other foreigners like her.

By night, she prepared herself a nice dinner. Ramen and hot tea. Since she has no television, Sakuno set up her laptop and decided to watch something in the internet. After two hours, she was asleep.

* * *

A few minutes passed and more students entered the room. They were 70% americans, the 30% were foreigners. Sakuno was sitting at the middle row but she stayed at the seat beside the window. She continued drawing on her notebook until the professor came in.

 _"Good morning, guys. I am Benjamin Gates. You can call me sir Ben for short. I will be teaching you Economics and all other stuff in this book."_ A tall and slender man held out a thick book in front of the class and began checking for the attendance.

Sakuno smiled because she had clearly understood every word that sir Ben said. Those English tutorial with captain Tezuka wasn't for nothing!

 _"Ryuzaki Sakuno?"_ she quickly raised her hand and said "Present, sir!" most of the students giggled at her sudden action. She was confused. It was the right English word, right? Feeling a bit awkward, she focused on looking at her doddles and not glancing at other directions. Making friends will be a lot harder than how she imagined.

After a while of going through the list of female students in sir Ben's laptop, she began checking for the male list. Sakuno reviewed the handouts in advance but as she turned pages, sir Ben spoke.

 _"Another Japanese, huh? Echizen Ryoma_?" Sakuno perked up and felt her stomach turning. When was the last time she felt this feeling? Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she heard a boy responds behind her with a very familiar voice.

 _"Here."_

to be continued.

* * *

A/N: Bejamin Gates is Nicholas Cage's character name in the movie _National Treasure_. Oh and I just grabbed Tezuka's speech from  /become_an_asse_exchange_student/student_exchange_program/.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakuno slowly turned her head and look at the boy wearing a white cap, a single notebook on the table, pencil resting on its side, and the tennis bag he always used. It read _Seigaku_. As she turned completely and faced the aforementioned person, her eyes widened, she could not believe it. Of all places in New York, they had to meet here in this very school, in this very room.

"R-Ryo…ma?" she whispered but the boy heard it anyway. Sure enough, it was him. Those sharp eyes, longer green hair, his lips that was always kept shut. Sakuno could not help but stare at him. She missed this feeling of warmth, this comfortability whenever she sees him. Even if they rarely talk or have spent time during their middle school, she felt like they've shared a lot of moments together, being classmates, sharing bento, being tennis players…

Whoa, so much thought and class hasn't even started yet! Sakuno mentally shook her head. This is no time to be awestruck, gotta focus on the reason why she's here. TO STUDY!

Ryoma took his time studying the girl in front of him, trying to recall her identity or where he had seen her. Then it hit him.

"Ryuzaki… why are you here?" he finally said.

"Uhh, well—"

" _Alright, let's start class, shall we?"_ sir Ben smiled.

They blinked, and Sakuno turned back to listen to the lecture. Both of them decided to deal with this later.

* * *

After class, Sakuno quickly gathered her things and turned around, but Ryoma was already gone. She was disappointed, she then proceeded exit the room.

"Ryuzaki." a boy suddenly appeared in front of her she almost jumped.

"Oh my god, R-Ryoma-kun! You gave me a fright!" Sakuno clutched her chest, her heart beating loud. Ryoma's eyebrow arched. It certainly is nice to see a familiar face.

"Sorry. I guess I was a bit hyped seeing someone I know here." Ryoma gestured for Sakuno to follow him. They walked side by side along the corridor. Sakuno had no class until afternoon so she can hang out for a few hours, while Ryoma has only one class today and the rest of the afternoon would be club time.

Feeling the weight of the silence, Sakuno thought of something to say.

"Ryoma-kun, did you have lunch yet?" she asked happily.

"Ah no, not yet. You?" he said. Sakuno noticed that Ryoma had changed over the years. Even if it was just a little bit, Ryoma is no longer the snob brat he was, but a friendlier, and considerate man now. Yes, he grew taller, he gained weight and more tan.

"Not yet.."

"Let's go eat. I'm starving." The boy started walking without waiting for her reply.

Sakuno blushed. This was the first time Ryoma asked her out. Well, not a date, though. Just lunch.

* * *

Inside the burger joint, Ryoma stood at the end of a short line while Sakuno followed him behind.

"You can find us a table." He pointed his thumb behind him where plenty of vacant tables were.

"U-Um, oh.. okay." She scurried away and found a table at the corner with two sofas facing each other. Sakuno took a seat and eyed the prince. It was his turn to order. His lips slowly moved, pronouncing English words, not too loud, but enough to be heard by the cashier. Some fellow students were eating there, too. Sakuno noticed that the American girls were staring lovingly at Ryoma. It was no doubt that the prince would also be popular here, being a tennis star, not to mention his handsome charms and athletic physique.

Her train of thoughts were disturbed when Ryoma headed towards Sakuno, carrying two trays with food on it.

"Here." He placed the other tray of burger, fries and soda in front of Sakuno, then he took his seat.

"Oh, I haven't paid for this yet!" Sakuno rummaged through her backpack in search of her wallet while Ryoma ate his burger.

"Don't worry about it." He simply said between hungry bites. Sakuno blushed. Now, it really looked like a date. On the other table, she noticed the girls were eyeing her from head to toe. They must've thought she is Ryoma's girlfriend. That's how it looked like.

Sakuno shrugged and started to eat, too. She was used to being judged by other girls whenever she was hanging out with the Seigaku regulars.

After a while, they found themselves enjoying a nostalgic conversation about their middle school days and how the senpais were doing back home.

"So how long are you going to be here?" he asked while finishing his drink.

"About a year." Sakuno smiled. "Oh, what degree are you taking by the way?"

"I'm studying Engineering here. It's not strange, is it?" he looked at Sakuno. She blushed.

"Uh, no. Why would it be strange? What's strange is me being here and finally being good at English." She laughed, Ryoma smirked.

"That is strange."

* * *

Ryoma walked Sakuno back to the school building and bid goodbye. Before he could walk away, Sakuno built up the courage to ask him.

"Ryoma-kun!" the boy turned around and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Um.. well.. I was – the senpais were wondering if you got a phone number they could contact." She felt the guilt of using the senpais into getting Ryoma's phone number but it would do good if she could actually get them to communicate to Ryoma after being away for so long.

"Oh, yeah. Here." He fished out a piece of paper and a pen out of his sling bag and wrote numbers. He then handed it to Sakuno. She slowly grabbed it.

"Thank you, Ryoma-kun. Be careful on your way home." She smiled. She will definitely hand these to the senpais. The boy walked away, waving his hand.

That night, Sakuno laid in her bed, holding the piece of paper, her laptop sat idly beside her. She was thinking of texting Ryoma, to ask when she could see him again, which class, what day, what time, etc. It was driving her mad. All those forgotten feelings regarding the boy came back to Sakuno in an instant and it felt so good.

This is ridiculous, she thought. They're nineteen years old, for God's sake. It shouldn't be a problem to catch up like old friends, right? No more shy and timid Sakuno. It's a whole new Sakuno even before she went to New York. But she kept her long, braided hair, and her hips still wobbled sometimes. But this is a rare chance! She should totally call Ryoma right now.

Finally, after battling thoughts in her head, Sakuno decided to dial the number on her cell and waited for that voice. But instead, Sakuno was startled.

"Who's this?" a girl's voice said.

to be continued.

* * *

A/N: Have I been abusing the use of the horizontal line? Hehe..


End file.
